Comfort
by blownspirit
Summary: She looked up at him, feeling her barriers breaking down. She shook her head, collapsing into his open arms as he clutched her close. She began to sob, hoarse, guttural cries of agony, making her entire form shake. An alternate ending to S4 E8 - Reddie.


She knew calling Eddie was probably a bad idea, but she really didn't know who else to turn to. Steph was sat on her sofa, just staring into space silently, her eyes blank. She knew who Steph blamed for this and she agreed with her; it was her fault, she knew that. She should never have allowed Earl to stay at Waterloo Road and she knew that she had to pay the price for her mistake, but she wasn't sure she could cope with this on her own. Not after everything else. And she knew it wasn't fair to call her sister's fiancé and expect him to be there for her. It wasn't fair on Eddie and it wasn't fair on Mel, but she didn't know what else to do. Whenever she needed someone, it was always him she turned to, always. So, for all of these reasons, and so many more, she picked up the phone and typed in his number, fingers trembling as she did. "Eddie?" she whispered. "I… I need you."

Minutes later, he arrived on her doorstep, strong and calm. She opened the door and felt herself instantly calm down. "Rach," he murmured, "are you okay?" She looked up at him, feeling her barriers breaking down. She shook her head, collapsing into his open arms as he clutched her close. She began to sob, hoarse, guttural cries of agony, making her entire form shake. Holding her like this made Eddie realise just how much weight Rachel had lost. She was bony now and that scared him. Seeing her like this hurt. He didn't know what Steph had said and he understood she must be angry, God knew he could understand why, but any anger towards Rachel was misdirected. It was Earl who'd shot Maxine, not Rachel. All she'd ever tried to do was the right thing and it had backfired on her.

Rachel let Eddie steer her into the kitchen and sit her down, finally releasing her to put the kettle on. "I'm going to check on Steph and then I'll be straight back Rach, okay? I promise." She nodded at him, trying to regulate her breathing and blink away the tears as he walked through into the lounge, where he found Steph in the same position as Rachel had left her. "Steph?" he tried to get through to her.

She looked up at him with venom in her mascara-ringed eyes. "Oh so Rachel's called in her lapdog has she? Can't clean up her own mess can she? This isn't the first time she's left you to sort everything out is it? After what happened last year, you were the one who sorted everything out with the fire and the cheating and the bloody bombshell with the prostitution. I mean it's a wonder she kept her job after that little stunt! And now we find ourselves being bossed around by an ex-whore. Although who's to say she ever stopped? Is that why you two didn't get together?" She cackled at her own joke, but tears ran down her cheeks.

Eddie didn't crack a smile. "You know what Steph, I'll forgive you those comments because I know you're not in a good place right now," he said coldly. "But don't you dare blame any of this on Rachel, because she is the best thing that ever happened to Waterloo Road and what happened was not her fault."

"She allowed him to stay at the school, despite him demonstrating how dangerous he was on multiple occasions. She has to take the blame."

"Steph, you cannot say this to her. Do you understand? Rachel is fragile. I know she chooses not to show you that, but she isn't really okay like she makes out. She's sat in that kitchen right now in absolute bits over this. She can't even face you."

"Because she feels guilty, Eddie," Steph hissed, her tone becoming dangerous. "God, she's really got you wrapped around her little finger hasn't she? I mean, why are you even here Eddie?"

"I'm here because Rachel is my friend and she needed help. She didn't ask me to deal with you, she just needed some support."

"You're here because you want to get in her fucking knickers," Steph scoffed.

"You are a jealous woman who is trying to blame her own problems on other people. Rachel has given you a place to stay, for God's sake. She's put you up in her own house, despite knowing that you're angry with her and you want to hurt her, because she doesn't want you to feel alone." Steph looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Just go to bed Steph. We'll discuss this in the morning." Steph nodded, her lip wobbling, as Eddie pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "I promise that we will support you through this Steph. Me and Rachel. Now get some sleep, okay?"

Once he had taken Steph upstairs, Eddie went back into the kitchen, to find the kettle boiled and Rachel pouring two mugs of tea. "Come here," he smiled, "let me do that."

She gave him a small smile of gratitude and sat down at the kitchen table, taking the mug of tea he handed her, and clutching it with both hands, drawing her knees up to her chest like a tired child as Eddie came to sit opposite her. "Now," he said firmly, "I want you to tell me how you're coping." As she began to draw herself up he looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Really. You don't have to hide from me."

She looked at him questioningly, before conceding defeat. "I feel so guilty Eddie. Maxine was my pupil. It was my duty to protect her and I failed," she told him, her voice cracking slightly as he stood up and came to sit beside her, wrapping his arms around her again.

"Well then we all failed. Rachel, this was as much my decision as yours and I did nothing either. I mean for fuck's sake Rach, my only attempt to help was a falconry class which resulted in him nicking a bloody bird and running off with it." Rachel leant into him, cracking a faint smile.

"Doesn't make me feel any better."

"Rachel, of everyone at that school, you have done more for the pupils than anyone else. You ran into a burning building in an attempt to save anyone you could find. You went into the school to talk down an armed boy because you wanted to help him. Over and over again, you have sacrificed yourself for them. Where would Bolton Smilie be without you? Or Janeece Bryant? Where would I be?" he asked as a last resort.

"Eddie…" she trailed off.

"You can't leave them Rachel. You can't leave me," he whispered, gazing into her red-rimmed eyes. She looked back at him, vulnerable and open. Without thinking, he leaned in and brushed her lips with his own, gently but surely. She responded to him, her hands twisting into his hair, his falling to her waist, pulling her into him, desperate for her touch, the feelings he had been holding in for the last few months pouring out all at once. Their lips became ever more frantic, their breathing erratic and their hands blazing trails of fire across each other's bodies.

Then his phone began to vibrate and they pulled apart, both panting slightly as he opened it to see the caller ID. Melissa. Rachel looked down and her heart stopped. He closed the phone. "Eddie, Mel…"

"No Rach, you need me more right now," he told her.

"I can't do this to her Eddie, it's not right," Rachel murmured.

"Then why does it feel so right Rachel? Why is it that you do more to me with a single kiss than she can in an entire relationship? Why do I want to be with you all the time, while I find myself avoiding your sister as much as possible?"

"Eddie, please. Don't…"

"I'm in love with you Rachel," he broke in, stopping her mid-sentence.

"What?" she asked, scarcely letting herself believe what he'd just said.

"I'm in love with you, Rachel Mason. I have been since the day I met you."

"But Melissa…" she whispered.

"It's always been you Rach."

"God Eddie, I love you too, but I can't…"

"Yes you can. I'll sort it all out, I promise. But I need you and you need me, so let me stay, Rach. At least for tonight."

She looked up at him, his eyes imploring her to let him look after her. She gave in. "Just for tonight," she whispered, letting him take her hand and lead her upstairs to her room, where they fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms, finding there the comfort they both craved.


End file.
